CHAPTER XIX - RULES FOR APPLICANTS - Part 2

Prakriti. Derives its name from its function as the material
cause of the first evolution of the universe. It may be said to be composed of
two roots, "pra" to manifest, and "krita" to make; meaning,
that which caused the universe to manifest itself.

Prana. The Life Principle, the breath of Life. The
occultist believes the following statement: "Life we look upon as the one
form of existence, manifesting in what is called matter, or what, incorrectly
separating them; [223] we name Spirit, Soul, and
Matter in man. Matter is the vehicle for the manifestation of soul on this
plane of existence; soul is the vehicle for the manifestation of spirit, and
these three as a trinity are synthesised by Life, which pervades them all."

Purusha. The spiritual self. The embodied self. The word
literally means "The dweller in the city"—that is, in the body. It
is derived from the Sanskrit "pura" which means city or body, and
"usha" a derivative of the verb "vas," to dwell.

Quaternary. The fourfold lower self, or man, in the three
worlds. There are various divisions of this, but perhaps for our purpose the
best is to enumerate the four as follows:

1. Lower mind.

2. Emotional or kamic body.

3. Prana, or the Life
Principle.

4. The etheric body, or the
highest division of the twofold physical body.

Raja Lord. The word "Raja" simply means King or
Prince; the word has been applied to those great angels or entities who ensoul
the seven planes. These are great devas who are the sumtotal and the
controlling intelligence of a plane.

Raja Yoga. The true system of developing psychic and spiritual
powers and union with one's higher self or the Ego. It involves the exercise,
regulation, and concentration of thought.

Ray. One of the seven streams of force of the Logos; the
seven great lights. Each of them is the embodiment of a great cosmic entity.
The seven Rays can be divided [224] into
the three Rays of Aspect and the four Rays of Attribute, as follows:

Rays of Aspect

1. The Ray of Will, or Power.

2. The Ray of Love-Wisdom.

3. The Ray of Activity or
Adaptability.

Rays of Attribute

4. The Ray of Harmony,
Beauty, Art, or Unity.

5. The Ray of Concrete
Knowledge or Science.

6. The Ray of Abstract
Idealism or Devotion.

7. The Ray of Ceremonial
Magic, or Law.

The above names are simply
some chosen from among many, and embody the different aspects of force by means
of which the Logos manifests.

Ring-Pass-not. This is at the circumference of the manifested solar
system, and is the periphery of the influence of the sun, both esoterically and
exoterically understood. The limit of the field of activity of the central
life force.

Root Race. One of the seven races of man which evolve upon a
planet during the great cycle of planetary existence. This cycle is called a
world period. The Aryan root race, to which the Hindu, European, and modern
American races belong, is the fifth, the Chinese and Japanese belonging to the
fourth race.

Sensa, or Senzar. The name for the secret sacerdotal language, or the
"mystery speech" of the initiated adepts all over the world. It is a
universal language, and largely a hieroglyphic cypher.

[225]

Shamballa. The City of the Gods, which is in the West to some
nations, in the East to others, in the North or South to yet others. It is the
sacred island in the Gobi Desert. It is the home of mysticism and the Secret
Doctrine.

Triad. The Spiritual Man; the expression of the monad. It
is the germinal spirit containing the potentialities of divinity. These potentialities will be
unfolded during the course of evolution.
This Triad forms the individualised or separated self, or Ego.

Viveka. The Sanskrit "discrimination." The very
first step in the path of occultism......is the discrimination between the real
and the unreal, between substance and phenomenon, between the Self and the
Not-self, between spirit and matter.

Wesak. A festival which takes place in the Himalayas at the
full moon of May. It is said that at this festival, at which all the members
of the Hierarchy are present, the Buddha, for a brief period, renews his touch
and association with the work of our planet.

Yoga. 1. One of the six schools of India, said to be
founded by Patanjali, but really of much earlier origin. 2. The practice of
Meditation as a means of leading to spiritual liberation.

Note: This glossary does not undertake fully to explain
all the above terms. It is simply an attempt to render into English certain
words used in this book, so that the reader may understand their connotation.
The majority of the definitions have been culled from the Theosophical
glossary, The Secret Doctrine, and the Voice of the Silence.